Individual differences in statistical learning predict children's reading ability in a semi-transparent orthography

• Published in: Learning and individual differences Vol. 69; pp. 60 - 68
• Main Authors: Torkildsen, Janne von Koss, Arciuli, Joanne, Wie, Ona Bø
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Implicit learning; Learning; Literacy; Reading acquisition; Statistical learning; Learning; Implicit learning; Statistical learning; Literacy; Reading acquisition
• ISSN: 1041-6080; 1873-3425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2018.11.003

Learning to read is a milestone in a child's life, and reading ability is a strong predictor of academic outcomes. Some studies have revealed that individual differences in the capacity for implicit statistical learning are linked with children's reading skills in English, which has a deep orthography, but we do not know whether the same relation is found in semi-transparent orthographies such as Norwegian. Additionally, the relative contribution of statistical learning alongside other cognitive measures known to be related to reading has not been examined. This study of sixty-five Norwegian school children (M = 10.3 years) found that performance on an independent statistical learning task predicted a small, but unique amount of variance in reading ability in Norwegian, even when a number of other reading-related cognitive skills were taken into account. This suggests that children's implicit learning of statistical regularities is associated with proficiency with written language in a semi-transparent orthography such as Norwegian. •Capacity for implicit statistical learning predicts children's reading efficiency.•The relation can be observed in a semi-transparent orthography.•This relation holds even when other reading-related factors are taken into account.